Biblical Principles of Kindness God’s Way
Biblical principles of kindness don’t interest me when I first wake up. Even a cup of java wouldn’t infuse a dose of warmth towards others.
I don’t chase down the virtue first thing but eventually, I let God lead me toward a gentle and quiet spirit so the spiritual fruit can grow.
So, I keep my mouth shut (most days) and let God soften my heart and words before my jaws ever hinge open. Remembering this verse helps too.
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:31).
About now your “yeah but” takes over inside your head. Like, yeah but— what about unbelievers? Can’t they be kind and offer random acts of kindness?
They can.
According to Romans 14:23 – “everything that does not come from faith is sin.” The heart is the internal motivator that only God sees. Good deeds show on the outside, but what’s the motivation, hidden inside, behind the act? When unbelievers extend kindness to others, they aren’t doing so in faith.
Unbelievers won’t think, “in the name of Jesus”, or “this is for God’s glory” while extending benevolence. Sure. Warm and fuzzy feelings might surface, but they miss the saving knowledge Christians have.
Anything we offer others is because of God’s grace of forgiveness through the blood of Jesus. Our eternal motivator is—faith.
Biblical Principles of Kindness Begin With a Heart Full of Love
The lifelong process to prevent corrupt language from gushing out of your mouth takes work. Before words build up inside you to give grace to others (Ephesians 4:29), you purposely quarantine yourself in God’s presence.
Even a Christian can say the right words, and exhibit a polite and friendly face but have a veneered heart full of poison. That’s not what this virtue looks like. The word “kind” exudes tenderness that never spews forth from a hardened, ungenerous heart void of love.
What is Biblical kindness? Bible verses about kindness and other scriptures.
Proverbs 31:26 – She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
1 John 3:17 – But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?
Micah 6:8 – He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Zechariah 7:9 – Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another.
Luke 6:35 – But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.
And finally, another indicator that the heart is kind:
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Ephesians 4:31 – 5:2
Christians are overwhelmingly smitten by God’s extravagance. He gave His son to be slaughtered on a cross, for us—the undeserving recipients of love.
Biblical Principles of Kindness Include Fruit
Christians wage a constant battle against their natural, sinful natures.
Enter the fruit of the spirit.
Kindness as a Christian virtue develops as Christians mature closer to the path of righteousness by cultivating spiritual food in their lives. Kindness is listed as the fifth out of nine fruits in Galatians 5:22-23.
When a believer is willing to grow spiritually, the Holy Spirit builds these virtues into a person to overflow into the lives of others. You develop an attitude of tender concern even when those who hate you have no intentions to return love to you.
We see the kindness fruit in God. He leads us to fresh streams and places He knows brings restoration (See my Psalm 23 Bible Study), shelters us from every storm (Psalm 91), and reaches out to outcasts (Genesis 21:9-21). He gathers us into His arms (Isaiah 40:11). For 40 years, He put up with grumblings from the Israelites which required all nine fruit of the spirit—and probably a lot of other virtues.
Fruit helps us become servants of God.
Kindness as a Christian Virtue Means Having a Closed Mouth
Some of us need duct tape to keep our mouths closed when someone pushes our buttons. When kindness settles into your heart, God turns a heart of stone into a heart of flesh. You begin to feel the urgency of letting kindness have its way. It will be a hair-on-fire moment when kindness becomes the norm.
Proverbs 3:3 – Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart.
Psalm 141:3-4 – Set a guard over my mouth, Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips.4 Do not let my heart be drawn to what is evil so that I take part in wicked deeds along with those who are evildoers; do not let me eat their delicacies.
Then you’ll believe this scripture revealing God’s end game for you and me.
2 Corinthians 6:4-6 – Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love.
Are you already kind and understand its spiritual power when walking in an evil world? Do you understand that tenderness towards others who are hateful is not weakness? Do you love imitating God by developing new fruit every year? And, do you see kindness, and all fruit, as a fragrant sacrifice and offering to God?
Work on developing this fruit and before long you may even wake up kind. I’m not there yet!